Desolator (Uprising)
The Desolator Trooper is a special Soviet infantry unit appearing in Red Alert 3: Uprising. Background They are terminally ill patients, spirited away from Soviet hospitals in Omsk, implanted with extensive cybernetic enhancements and placed into monstrous suits of bionically-powered armour, with no recollection of their previous lives thanks to the memory wipe. Their weapons and armour were developed as the Soviet Union was crumbling down, and the Ministry of Experimental Science desperately sought new means to defend Mother Russia. The handful that did not defect or desert continued their research, eventually creating the Desolator Trooper Programme (DTP), which bred the most horrifying frontline trooper ever to corrupt the face of the Earth (whose very existence violated 71 International Provisions of Appropriate Military Conduct). In fact, the creators of Desolator troopers were also their first victims. The Desolators take their name from the toxins they employ as weapons. Quickly evaporating and leaving little traces behind, they are impossible to analyze, but rumors abound that they are a by product of Soviet super-reactors. They were used on the frontlines, in the form of Desolator airstrikes, but only in the closing stages of the war did the scientists find a way to transport them in a more portable fashion. The average lifespan of a Desolator trooper is about a year or two (or until their life support dies), during which they require no sleep nor food due to being cybernetically and surgically augmented.Desolator unit profile. Red Alert 3 official website (archived). Deployment History Deployed during Operation Raid on Lost Castle, the Desolator troopers were part of the Commander's task force that was raiding the FutureTech base. During Yuriko Omega's insurrection, she uncovered a data file from a FutureTech prison camp which revealed that their scientists were struggling to get a captured Desolator trooper outside his suit without killing him. Abilities In-game Being an offshoot of Tesla suit technology, the Desolator shares many of its strengths and weaknesses, including cladding that is uncrushable by vehicles (albeit vulnerable to shurikens, dogs and bears), and a "fatal attraction" to the Magnetic Satellite. There are two modes on the Desolator's menu - the first is a sprayed concoction that kills infantry directly, which can also clear garrisons (but not ones inside vehicles). The formula is similar to the one used in Desolator Airstrike in terms of damage and appearance. The second concoction is an all-new formula fired in balls that will poison and corrode armour, allowing the sprayed chemical to be used on it. When in use, this formula can help other infantry units to write off heavily armoured vehicles and structures. As chemicals, both weapons have an area of effect, defiling a position before being vapourised or absorbed slowly. Desolators can garrison buildings and can also enter vehicles. They are best suited with groups of other infantry types (beware of their chemical spill). They are vulnerable to almost all anti-infantry weapons and aerial attacks. Assessment Pros * Will single-handedly melt entire battalions of infantry due to splash damage * Can clear garrisons * Very tough, probably the toughest buildable infantry unit in the war * Uncrushable by smaller vehicles * Secondary splatter attack can make vehicles and buildings more vulnerable to its primary attack * Deadly against commando units, especially against Tanya and Yuriko * Immune to suppression. * Immune to Desolator airstrike (except if a target of Splatter attack) Cons * Vulnerable to concentrated anti-infantry fire * Helpless against air attacks * Primary attack is useless against structures and weak against vehicles and ships (except when using splatter attack to corrode them first) * The most expensive non-hero infantry unit ($1500) * Primary weapon does not instantly hit enemies. * Vulnerable to Magnetic Satellites. * Despite all of his toughness, he is still one-shot prey for Natasha Notes from the field Battlefield reconnaissance has revealed at least these facts about the Desolator Trooper: • The aptly-named Deathspray -- Desolator Troopers fight using dual pressurized hoses that project streams of vile, toxic fluids that can strip flesh from bone almost instantly and cause the bone to disintegrate moments later. Thus, this unconventional weapon is considered to be far more dangerous to flesh-and-blood targets than bullets or bombs. • The armor-melting Splattershot Gun -- Desolators also have means of dealing with armored vehicles. The corrosive globs fired from the Desolator's Splattershot Gun not only clog up mechanical parts (thereby reducing top speeds), but serve as a catalyst for the Deathspray. In essence, once a vehicle is "splattered", it becomes as vulnerable to the Deathspray as a portly fellow at the beach. • Nearly immune to injury -- A happy side-effect of the Desolator Trooper's resistance to all kinds of different toxins is an extremely high resistance to general pain and physical injury. It is not the case that these men feel no pain; they have simply grown used to experiencing constant, negative sensation. • A costly experiment -- After the war, the Ministry of Experimental Science desperately spent most of its remaining funds developing the Desolator Trooper's armor and weaponry, and though the results proved effective, if profane, the costs associated with these forces make them quite uncommon. Selected Quotes Created *''Desolation Hour!'' Select *''What is it?'' *''Need to kill some weed ?'' *''Desolator!'' *''Share... the suffering!'' *''*moaning*'' *''It does the body bad.'' *''What are you looking at!?'' *''The first one is free!'' Moving *''I'll make a clearing!'' *''Nothing will grow there!'' *''Alright!'' *''I know!'' *''Right!'' *''I'm going!'' *''Moving!'' *''Wasteland on its way!'' *''This stuff is heavy!!'' Garrisoned Structure *''Need a fumigation?'' *''Keep the windows open!'' *''I'll take a break!'' Attacking in Deathspray Mode *''Take your medicine!'' *''Enjoy!'' *''See how they like it!'' *''Ahh yes!'' *''Eradicate their kind!'' *''Rinse and repeat!'' *''It all comes out in the wash'' *''Full strength!'' Attacking in Splattershot Mode *''Maybe a little messy!'' *''Here, catch!'' *''Here, have a sample!'' *''Desolation for all !'' *''You want one too!?'' Move to Attack *''Pesticide coming through!'' *''There should be more green!'' *''They look too happy!'' *''I will be generous!'' *''Spread... The misery!'' *''Agony will look good on them!'' In combat *''Uhh... Ahh yes!'' *''Desolation for all!'' *''How sustainable are we!'' *''Stay still now!'' *''How does it feel?'' *''Don't forget to breathe!'' Under fire *''Hey! I've suffered enough!'' *''Ow!.. ''it's leaking! *''Agh''! What?! That's my respirator! *''Get them away from me!'' Gallery RA3_Desolator_Comic.png|Stylized image RA3Desolator.jpg|Concept art RA3Uprising_Desolator1.jpg|Concept art Desolator_trooper.jpg Videos File:C%26C_Red_Alert_3_Uprising_Desolator_Surveillance_Footage|Surveillance Footage Trivia *The Desolator Trooper in the Commander's Challenge Kill-A-Ton is accompanied by a miniaturised Yuriko Omega as a reference to the iconic Big Daddy and Little Sister in the Bioshock series. *Desolators are immune to toxin damage, and Red Alert 3's garrison-clearing logic works by damaging garrisoned infantry one by one. Therefore, if a Desolator enters a garrisonable structure first, all subsequent infantry who enter that structure become immune to toxin-based weapons, since the first Desolator absorbs the toxin damage harmlessly. See also *Cryo Legionnaire - Allied advanced infantry. *Rocket Angel - Imperial advanced infantry. References Category:Uprising infantry Category:Uprising Soviet Arsenal Category:Cybernetics